The invention relates to an apparatus for the optical indication of values, comprising at least one luminous element mounted on a movable body.
For the indication of physical values, e.g., velocities, time periods, lengths, frequencies, or temperatures, analog and digital indicators are known. In the analog devices, the value to be represented is indicated by a hand or the like continually changing its position. Known applications of such analog indications are speedometers or revolution indicators in motor vehicles, mercury columns of thermometers, or hands of clocks or watches. Lately, more and more often digital indicators are employed wherein the numerical value of a physical quantity is directly indicated by means of numbers, e.g. through seven-segment indications.
Besides analog and digital indications of values, hybrid indications have also been proposed wherein punctiform or dash-shaped luminous elements can be coupled in such a way that they form hands or the like. E.g., a wrist watch is known whose hands consist of luminous elements arranged on a straight line, these hands advancing step by step.
Such a quasi-analog indicator is also known in radar devices that are provided for recognizing schools of fish. In such case the display is in the form of a rotating neon tube on a circular scale (Heathkit Fisch-detector MI-2900).
The objective of the present invention is to provide a quasi-analog indicator for the representation of physical values, which can be produced by simple means.